Combination mould and container-dispenser for high-viscosity fluid material

ABSTRACT

A tubular container for lipsticks, lip-salve, lubricants and the like, wherein the tubular body and cap not only provide a dispenser-container but also a mould and shaping receptacle into which the material in its more viscous form can be poured and the unit assembled prior to the solidifying of the material. The invention also contains an anti-stripping device to insure effective interaction between the propelling screw-portion of the unit and the stick of solidified lubricant.

United States Patent 91 Lang [ Nov. 4, 1975 I 1 COMBINATION MOULD ANDCONTAINER-DISPENSER FOR HIGH-VISCOSITY FLUID MATERIAL [76] Inventor:Frank J. Lang, 11702 Center Drive, Lemont, 111. 60439 [22] Filed: July16, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 379,555

[52] US. Cl 401/72; 401/75 [51] Int. Cl. A45D 40/06 [58] Field of Search401/75, 78, 72

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,499,784 l/l924 Recker401/75 2,818,167 12/1957 McKinley 401/75 3,589,821 6/1971 Barney et a1401/75 3,612,704 10/1971 Marchant: 401/72 3,612,705 10/1971 Duval 401/75FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 249,752 7/1947 Switzerland 401/75Primary ExaminerLawrence Charles [57] ABSTRACT A tubular container forlipsticks, lip-salve, lubricants and the like, wherein the tubular bodyand cap not only provide a dispenser-container but also a mould andshaping receptacle into which the material in its more viscous form canbe poured and the unit assembled prior to the solidifying of thematerial. The invention also contains an anti-stripping device to insureeffective interaction between the propelling screwportion of the unitand the stick of solidified lubricant.

3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures COMBINATION MOULD AND CONTAINER-DISPENSERFOR HIGH-VISCOSITY FLUID MATERIAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use ofhand-held, pocket-size containers for lip- .sticks and lip salves iswell known and the market has grown substantially in the past severalyears, particularly with the advent of lip salves having soothing ormedicinal properties, in addition to the much older, decorative orcoloring lipstick items sold primarily for cosmetic purposes. Thedevelopment of the containerdispenser in this field has advanced duringthe last several years with the improvement in plastic materials for themoulding of the container-dispenser, rather than the forming of suchdevice from various metals.

The dispenser is generally a 4-part unit including a tubular body, acap, a screw-type propeller,.and a follower plate riding on the screw.Such device is wellillustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,935,191 and2,818,167. In such devices the lubricant material is formed instick-form on the elevator or follower-plate which is subsequentlyassembled on the screw and thereafter the components assembled in thetube and the cap placed over the top thereof.

Simplified forms of the container-dispenser are shown in US. Pat. Nos.2,294,285 and 3,612,704, which devices are generally known as a 3-partunits consisting of a tubular body, a cap and a combinationscrew-propeller. Such unit does not include the elevator, and thus maybe considered generally more economical in construction and lower incost to the consumer-purchaser. The disadvantage of such units are thatthe body and screw portions must be assembled prior to filling, and thusinsertion or addition of the lubricant into the tube can only take placefrom one end. There is also the disadvantage of potential stripping ofthe screw-form within the lubricant when the screw is counter-rotated toreturn the stick into the tube, and such counter-rotation continuedafter the stick has reached the bottom of the tube.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention toprovide a simplified container-dispenser whichcan be filled,selectively, from either the top or the bottomof the tube. If thefilling is done from the top after the screw has already been assembledto the sleeve, the assembly procedure is somewhat less complicated butthere is no possibility to shape a tip above the body of the cylinderwithout also inverting the assembly after filling.

When the cap is applied to the cylinder and the lubricant insertedtherein from the bottom end, the tip of the lubricant assumes the shapeof the interior of the cap and thus provides an attractive, shaped tipwhich extends beyond the end of the top of the cylinder when .the cap isremoved initially. In this instance the screwadvancing mechanism must beinserted into the cylinder after the lubricant has been placed therein.

In each instance the unit may also include,,if desired,

an anti-stripping plate mounted on the base of the and thus prevents thestripping; of the thread formed within the lubricant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION For the purpose of illustrating the invention,there are shown in the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are atpresent preferred, although it is to be understood that the variousinstrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variouslyarranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to theprecise arrangements and organizations of the instrumentalities asherein shown and described.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of the assembled tube and screwelements with the cap removed and the formed tip of the stick-lubricantextending above the tube.

FIG. 2. is a fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional view of the assembledtube, cap and screw, with the tube filled with sticklubricant.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the screwpropelling unit.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical, cross-sectional view of the base ofa. tube and screw assembly, showing the addition of the anti-strippingplate.

FIG. 5 is ahorizontal cross-sectional view of one form of the tube withthe anti-rotational ridges formed on the interior of the tube tocooperate with the notches on the periphery of the anti-stripping plate.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of a tube which is oval incross-section, with an oval antistripping plate cooperatively disposedtherein.

FIG. 7 represents still another form of tube or cylinder wherein theinterior has a hexagonal shape, with a hexagonal anti-stripping platetherein.

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a modified form or cap,wherein the interior surface can be shaped to provide a protrudingportion on the moulded sticklubricant in theshape of a candle flame orfinger tip or a truncated cone of a type quite popular in modernlipstick dispensers.

DESCRIITION OF THE INVENTION receive, cooperate with, and axiallyrestrain the screwadvancing mechanism 16, as shown more fully in FIG.

At the top of the body 10 the exterior diameter is reduced to provide aportion adapted to receive the cap 17. The reduced portion of the body10 includes the outwardly extending ridge or ring 18 which cooperateswith the inwardly extending ridge or ring 19 on the cap 17. Thearrangements and the dimensions of the ridges 18 and 19 areappropriately selected so that the bottom 20 of the cap 17 rests on theshoulder 21 ofthe body screwand cooperating with the interior surface ofthe 7 but which prevents the counter-rotation of the screw when thestick of lubricant is retracted into the-tube 10 and the top 22 of thebody 10 rests against the shoulder 23 of the cap 17 when the body andthe cap are assembled.

It will be noted that the internal diameter or surface 24 of the tube 10extends the full length of the tube above the ledge 14. The body orcylinder 10 can be moulded of any suitable plastic material andpreferably is to be made of a medium impact styrene.

The cap 17 is also moulded from a plastic material, preferably a 4 6melt polypropylene. The ridge 19 on the cap has a suitably taperedsurface which, in combination with the flexibility of the material ofwhich the cap is made, and proper dimensional cooperation with the ridge18 on the body 10, permits the cap to be slipped on the end of the tubeand snapped into place and held by the cooperative interaction of theridges 18 and 19. Appropriate dimensions also insure that the cap may beremoved and replaced repeatedly by the user merely by snapping it on andoff the upper end of the tubular body. I

The interior surface 25 of the cap 17 has a maximum diameter which maybe the same as the interior diameter of the surface 24 of the tube 10,but which in no case exceeds that dimension and preferably is somewhatsmaller. In addition, the interior surface 25 is tapered or truncated asshown in FIG. 2, or may be specially shaped as shown in FIG. 8. Thisensures that when the body 10 and the cap 17 are assembled prior tofilling with the stick-lubricant that no portion of the lubricantmaterial (which protrudes above the end of the cylinder 10 when the cap17 is removed) will be of a diameter larger than the interior surface 24of the body'l0. Thus there will be no scraping of the lubricant materialor loss or effectiveness thereof when the stick is subsequentlyretracted into the cylinder 10 after first use by the purchaser.

It also insures that there will be an attractive presentation of the tipof the lubricant material to the customer on initially removing the capfrom the cylinder, and easy replacement of the cap.

The exterior surface of the cap may be generally cylindrical with a flattop as shown in FIG. 2, or may also be shaped to conform more closely tothe interior 1 shape, as shown in FIG. 8, and thus'provide a moredecorative effect and enhance-the saleability and appearance of the tubeto the initial customer. Thus the com- 'posite assembly may be in theform of a candle with contrastingly colored cap to provide a flameeffect, or in the shape of a bullet or projectile having attraction tosportsmen, etc.

The screw element 16 has a combination base and knob 26 which can begrasped and manually rotated after the screw and tube have beenassembled. The screw also includes a reduced diameter shoulder 27 whichis appropriately dimensioned to cooperate with the ring and ledge on thecylinder, as well as a ring 28, separated from the knob 26 by theshoulder 27. The ring 28 has a tapered leading edge and is of a size tocooperate with the taper 15 on the ledge 14 so that the screw unit maybe assembled by snapping the screw unit into the bottomof the cylinder,past the tapered face 15. Thus the screw unit may be assembled in thecylinder either before or after the cylinder is filled with thelubricant material, and the interaction of the ledge 14 and tapered face15 with the shoulder 27 and ring '28 permit rotatable interactionbetween thescrew unit and the cylinder but prevent axial relativemovement between suchparts.

The screw unit 16 includes an integrally moulded, single-flightleft-hand thread screw 29. This screw has a small shaft 30 and largerdiameter, relatively large surface faces 31, with a bullet-shaped tip32. This construction permits the easy insertion of the screw unit intothe molten stick-lubricant disposed within the cylinder if the assemblyis to be bottom-filled with the cap in place, or, conversely, permitsthe easy filling of molten lubricant from the top (with the cap removedand screw unit already in the cylinder) if the unit is to be top-filled.

The ribs 12 on the interior surface 24 of the tube 11 prevent rotationof the stick lubricant within the cylinder when the knob 26 is rotated.Thus the interaction between the screw 29 and the stick lubricant forcesthe lubricant out of the body 10, or, conversely, retracts it within thebody 10 upon counterrotation of the knob.

There are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 alternate forms of the shape of thebody 10 which eliminate the need for the ribs or ridges 12.

The oval body 33 shown in FIG. 6 will have disposed within a similarlyshaped oval stick-lubricant material, which, upon solidifying afterbeing poured into the cylinder, cannot rotate within the cylinderbecause of the non-cylindrical shape of the relative bodies.

Similarly, the hexagonal-shaped interior surface of the tube 10 which isshown at 34 in FIG. 7 accomplishes the same purpose while yet providinga cylindrical exterior.

It is thus obvious that the relative shape and configuration of the tubeis multiple and varied and is not limited to a cylinder. Furthermore,even though the tube itself may be cylindrical in shape, on the outsidethere is no limitation upon the appearance or configuration of thelubricant-stick within the cylinder.

Because the stick lubricant is more susceptable to deformation then thescrew with which it cooperates, there is always the danger of strippingaction between screw and stick-lubricant if, after the retraction of thestick-lubricant into the cylinder by the screw, there is continuedcounter-rotation of the knob. The bottoming of the lubricant stickwithinthe cylinder against the top of the screw ring 28 prevents furtherdownward movement thereof, but if the screw continues to rotate in acounter-rotative direction then the stripping action takes place withinthe lubricant stick. To prevent this, an anti-strip device 35 is used,as shown in FIG. 4. The anti-strip device is essentially a plate havinga central hole 36, appropriately shaped and dimensioned so that it cantravel upwardly on the screw 29 when the knob 26 is rotated but whichprevents counter-rotation of the screw 29 and knob 26 when theanti-strip plate reaches the bottom of the screw.

The plate 35 has corresponding notches 37 in its periphery whichcooperate with the ribs 12 on the interior surface 24 of the tube 10.Thus the relative motion permitted between screw 29 and plate 35 at thesame time that the screw advances the stick of lubricant out of thetube, permits relative rotation of screw within tube. However, uponcounter-rotation, when the plate 35 reaches the bottom of the screw 29,it strikes the upper ledge 38 of the shoulder 39, and thus locks orbinds against further counter-rotation. The locking action takes placebecause the shaft 30 and hole 36 are square (orrectangular or othernon-circular shape) as shown in FIG. 5. The shaft has a spiral twistlike the threads.

The periphery 40 of the plate 35 extends radially outwardly farther thanthe inner edges of the ribs 12, but the outer periphery of theanti-strip plate 35 is of smallerdiameter than the inner diameter of thetape red face 15. The shoulder 39 is of sufficient axial length so thatthe anti-strip plate 35, at its periphery, is disposed in cooperativerelationship with the ribs or ridges 12 when the screw unit is snappedinto place at the bottom of the cylinder 10.

From the above description of the invention it is obvious that the unitmay be assembled in a variety of ways to provide the most efficient andeconomical procedure for the manufacture. A bottom-fill procedure ispossible and all that is required is for the cap and cylinder to beassembled, the unit to be filled with molten lubricant, and while stillin molten condition the screw unit pushed into the assembly with themolten lubricant flowing around the screw and the screw unit snappedinto place at the bottom of the cylinder. Upon solidification of thestick lubricant the cooperative screwrelationship between the thusformedfemale thread in the lubricant and the screw 29 provides the interactingmechanism to expel the lubricant from the tube.

In the event that the preference is to assemble the screwunit and thecylinder at the outset, the tube can be top-filled by removal of the cap17. After filling, the cap may be replaced and the assembly invertedwhile the stick lubricant is still molten so that the material will flowinto the inner portion of the cap and assume the desired shape thereof.

It is clear that in each instance the maximum diameter of the sticklubricant in the portion which extends upwardly beyond the top of thecylinder when the cap is removed is no greater than the interiordiameter of the cylinder surface 24 so that when the stick lubricant iswithdrawn into the cylinder by appropriate rotation of the screw, noneof the material is wasted or scraped off to create a mess around the topedge of the tube.

Alternatively to the spirally twisted shaft on the screw as describedaforesaid, the shaft may be circular in cross-section and the hole inthe anti-strip plate also circular, with the freely moving plate ridingup the screw behind the sticklubricant when the screw is rotated toexpel the lubricant, but wedging against the shoulder 39 at the bottomwhen the screw is counter rotated and the plate reaches the bottom ofthe shaft.

It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may beembodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit orspecial attributes hereof, and it is therefore desired that the presentembodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative, and thereforenot restrictive, reference being made to the appended claims rather thanto the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent are the following:

l. A dispenser-container for fluid material of relatively high viscosityat room temperature, including a body portion, a cap detachablyconnected to said body, and a combination screw-base rotatably connectedto one end of said body, said body being a hollow tube, said cap beinggenerally cup-shaped and adapted easily to snap on and off the other endof said body and having a hollow interior which extends axially beyondthe end of the body, the inner diameter of that portion of said capwhich extends beyond the end of said body when operatively connectedthereto being no greater than the inner diameter of the tubular body andforming with said body a mould for said fluid material, said screw-basehaving a threaded portion including a shaft and a spiral thread and aknob-portion separated from the threaded portion by a shoulder, saidspiral thread being arranged directly to contact and move the fluidmaterial without any intervening elevator or follower plate, the tubularbody being shaped internally so that at least one portion along the axisthereof is noncircular in crosssection, said spiral thread having anouter diameter substantially greater than the diameter of the shaft butsmaller than the smallest dimension across the internal surface of thetubular body portion.

2. A dispenser-container for fluid material of relatively high viscosityat room temperature, including a body portion, a cap detachablyconnected to said body, and a combination screw-base rotatably connectedto one end of said body, said body being a hollow tube, said cap beinggenerally cup shaped and adapted easily to snap on and off the other endof said body and having a hollow interior which extends axially beyondthe end of the body, said screw-base having a threaded portion includinga shaft and a spiral thread and a knobportion separated from thethreaded portion by a shoulder, said spiral thread being arrangeddirectly to contact and move the fluid material without any interveningelevator or follower plate, the tubular body being shaped internally sothat at least one portion along the axis thereof is non-circular incross-section, said spiral thread having an outer diameter substantiallygreater than the diameter of the shaft but smaller than the smallestdimension across the internal surface of the tubular body portion, andan anti-strip plate mounted on the shaft and cooperatively interactingat its periphery with the non-circular portion of the body.

3. A dispenser-container for fluid material of relatively high viscosityat room temperature, including a body portion, a cap detachablyconnected to said body, and a combination screw-base rotatably connectedto one end of said body, said body being a hollow tube, said cap beinggenerally cup-shaped and adapted easily to snap on and off the other endof said body, said screw base having a threaded portion including ashaft and a spiral thread and a knob-portion separated from the threadedportion by a shoulder, the tubular body being shaped internally so thatat least one portion along the axis thereof is non-circular incrossection, said spiral thread having only one flight and an outerdiameter substantially greater than the diameter of the shaft butsmaller than the smallest dimension across the internal surface of thetubular body portion, said spiral thread being arranged directly tocontact and move the fluid material without any intervening elevator orfollower plate.

1. A dispenser-container for fluid material of relatively high viscosityat room temperature, including a body portion, a cap detachablyconnected to said body, and a combination screw-base rotatably connectedto one end of said body, said body being a hollow tube, said cap beinggenerally cup-shaped and adapted easily to snap on and off the other endof said body and having a hollow interior which extends axially beyondthe end of the body, the inner diameter of that portion of said capwhich extends beyond the end of said body when operatively connectedthereto being no greater than the inner diameter of the tubular body andforming with said body a mould for said fluid material, said screw-basehaving a threaded portion including a shaft and a spiral thread and aknob-portion separated from the threaded portion by a shoulder, saidspiral thread being arranged directly to contact and move the fluidmaterial without any intervening elevator or follower plate, the tubularbody being shaped internally so that at least one portion along the axisthereof is non-circular in crosssection, said spiral thread having anouter diameter substantially greater than the diameter of the shaft butsmaller than the smallest dimension across the internal surface of thetubular body portion.
 2. A dispenser-container for fluid material ofrelatively high viscosity at room temperature, including a body portion,a cap detachably connected to said body, and a combination screw-baserotatably connected to one end of said body, said body being a hollowtube, said cap being generally cup shaped and adapted easily to snap onand off the other end of said body and having a hollow interior whichextends axially beyond the end of the body, said screw-base having athreaded portion including a shaft and a spiral thread and aknob-portion separated from the threaded portion by a shoulder, saidspiral thread being arranged directly to contact and move the fluidmaterial without any intervening elevator or follower plate, the tubularbody being shaped internally so that at least one portion along the axisthereof is non-circular in cross-section, said spiral thread having anouter diameter substantially greater than the diameter of the shaft butsmaller than the smallest dimension across the internal surface of thetubular body portion, and an anti-strip plate mounted on the shaft andcooperatively interacting at its periphery with the non-circular portionof the body.
 3. A dispenser-container for fluid material of relativelyhigh viscosity at room temperature, including a body portion, a capdetachably connected to said body, and a combination screw-baserotatably connected to one end of said body, said body being a hollowtube, said cap being generally cup-shaped and adapted easily to snap onand off the other end of said body, said screw base having a threadedportion including a shaft and a spiral Thread and a knob-portionseparated from the threaded portion by a shoulder, the tubular bodybeing shaped internally so that at least one portion along the axisthereof is non-circular in crossection, said spiral thread having onlyone flight and an outer diameter substantially greater than the diameterof the shaft but smaller than the smallest dimension across the internalsurface of the tubular body portion, said spiral thread being arrangeddirectly to contact and move the fluid material without any interveningelevator or follower plate.